The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-30

/ his brain night and day
THE disappearance OF the two men
created no excitement. except, perhaps.
IN their own companies Gates r0amcd
the streets and made acquaintance
among the Federal officers. but days and
weeks rolled by and nothing occurred to
alarm him.
One day q happy thought struck him
a neiehbor desired % rent his house.
Why NOT let him have IT, and 90 north OF
west. OF anywhere Tor few years until
this horror WAS forgotten,
Fortunately IL was easy % make safe
and satisfactory arrangements Gates
turned over the house t0 bis tenant and
with thc first quarter rent in his pocket
set DIS face northward
Ill
The war had been over ten years when
the wandcrcr returned I'm his absence
DE bad prospcrcd. and his face wore the
placid composurc of man who had no
past to regret. and no secret TO hide
from his fellow men.
CAFES demanded the house, and his
faithful tenant gave 10 zap. The owner
furnished 10 comfortably and moved IN,
and appeared tO bee So well pleased with
h.s surroundings that hi, old neighbors
were delighted
"l have seen every nook and corner IN
thc house except The cellar, ' remarked
friend who was going over The house with
the proprietor
"Ihe CELLAR exclaimed Gates. "Oh,
yes. Of course l'll show you that
He bed the way. aud bis companion
praised everything boz high terms.
"Thc wall at This end, be said, ''is
well built but D. is more massive than
any other part of the work ID was built
t0 last forever
"Just s0. replied Gates with "a dry
laugh no ] don't mean that exactly
The supply ol material WAS limited and
the mason used what he had am sat
isfied with 10 '
But after the departure Of his guest
Gates scowled and shook his fist.
ON him for meddlng foOlW he
said "Nhat does he know about iC
Suspicious. pee. maps. and wants 90 prv
around here Hum must DE on my
guard
The wretched man paced the floor
"It is the mystery of b. and NOT the
deed. he continued, that weighs upon
my mind. ! found q robber 10 my house
and ] slew him There was mo- crime I'm
tat But had to bury TWO men instead
of one Who was the second mm. Who
killed him How came his body there.
$50 living person but myself could have
entered fn- cellar pshaW ] ann going
over Che same questions That have worried
mc for thc la-t tenn years. There is no
explanation. absolutely uonc and ! ann q
fool fl -O on boo ihi- way
Ihe visit to the cellar seemed Co un-
nerve Gates and Dis health and spirits
bcuu co. decline
A heavy umstom set boz, and Gates
found himself alone one night There
un- no danger of interruption i'm such
weather. JOS nobody would care TO pay
visit except Dob case off life and death.
II must see them cried Gates, "and ]
viii"
He went 10 the clubhouse where the
tools were stored. and then proceeded 10
thc collar
10 was as hard to tear down the wall as
10 had been to build it, hut after awhile
thc worker succeeded in removing great
mass oi granite and mortar
Gates reached over back of the wall
and pulled ouf skeleton covered with
tattored fragments Of blue. Tie laid It on
the floor
SIS Chat the man killed or the other''
De- whispered
Another pun and the second skeleton
rested hy the side of the first
II Thought easped Gates. that felt
something else over there
He stretched ont both hands behind the
wall and caught something lie dragged
10 ont. and threw 10 on The floor
Then De- heId up the lamp and stared
wildly before him.
There were three skeletons ou the floor
conc two. three, said Gates.
IIc rubbed his eyes and began The count
again.
some two. thrceN
Hcfcl on his knees and felt Of each
shciclan
cone two. three" ne shrteked
DO was more than the suffering man
could stand Tie t0ppled OVER limp and
m0N0ules.. in % dead faint.
Irly in the morning The few people in
uc streets were astonishcd to see Gates
wnnn. dimlc--lv in every direction. His
dress was disordered and his eyes glared
like those of % maniac.
cone two. three" hc shouted
several attempts were made 10 stop
him. but he broke away and continued TO
run. Some one saw him draw a long
knife. and the crowd scattered, fearing
that le was about to attack them.
one. two, threc' screamed the mad |
man. pluuging the knife into his breast |
three times.
lie fell on the sidewalk, rolled over |
once and was dead when The spectators /
reached the spot
Quite a sensation was caused by the dis |
co,ery of three skeletons in The cellar I'M |
der the Gates house but the mystery was |
newer explained IL was generally sur |
missed ,hat some horrible tragedy must |
have occurred there during me war, but |
its nature and the parties 90 II could not |
be ascertained IL was thought that |
Gates had Unexpectedly come upon the |
skeletons. and the fright occasioned by /
the CHASTITY spectacle had turned him into |
q raying madman.-Wau =. Reed in /
Atlanta Constitution
Dutics Of a Reporter.
"Some people have peculiar ideas about
O III